Lionel Messi says Argentina to not fear any team at the World Cup but he urged fans to stay calm with the tournament in Qatar less than a month away.

When Hazem Attar fled the stricken Syrian city of Aleppo seven years ago, he could not have imagined his brutal journey would lead him to a World Cup football match.

The football that was at the feet - and hand - of Diego Maradona as he shocked the world with acts of both brazen gamesmanship and breathtaking skill in Mexico 36 years ago has been put up for auction and is expected to sell for at least 2.5 million pounds ($2.8 million).

Some spend crazy amounts, others line up at dawn or gather at informal swap meets -- anything to satisfy a passion that combines love of soccer, this year's World Cup in Qatar and the ever-popular pursuit of Panini soccer stickers.

England will head to the World Cup on a six-game winless streak, their longest going into a major tournament, but lifted by the eye-catching performance of Jude Bellingham against Germany.

Brazil take on Tunisia in an international friendly at Parc des Princes while Argentina will play against Jamaica in New Jersey.

Watching this year's World Cup on TV will be a different experience, Spanish football legend Andres Iniesta told AFP on Thursday, but he believes his compatriots can lift the trophy without him.

T Sports, Bangladesh’s only sports channel, has successfully bought the broadcasting rights of the FIFA World Cup football in the country.

The opening match for this year's World Cup in Qatar will be brought forward by one day to November 20, senior football sources told AFP on Wednesday.

Brazil's Congress has established a committee to oversee the national team's preparations for the 2022 World Cup, saying the Selecao's image is at a "low point" after a series of defeats bruised the national ego.

Brazil manager Tite is excited by the rise of the young players who surged to stardom in European soccer last season and will be available for the national team in November when his side bid to win a record-extending sixth World Cup at the finals in Qatar.

FIFA will allow countries to select up to 26 players for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, increasing the maximum squad size by three for the November 21-December 18 tournament.

A total of 32 teams including hosts Qatar have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2022, scheduled to be in motion from November 21 to December 18.

Wales ended their 64-year wait for a place in the World Cup finals as they beat Ukraine 1-0 on Sunday to end the war-torn nation's hopes of reaching Qatar.

The fact that Bangladesh never came even remotely close to qualifying for the FIFA World Cup did little to ever dampen the spirit of the football-crazy people in the country.

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) revealed today that Argentina games are most in demand when it comes to the number of ticket applications submitted by Bangladesh fans for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

After a month of heightened tensions, eager waits and nail-biting moments, the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia is over. With a final between the favourites France and the underdogs Croatia, football fans could not have asked for a more entertaining World Cup.

Bangladesh has been ranked 20th among the football playing nations of Asia by the global football body, as the FIFA World Cup starts in Russia.

The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada after FIFA's congress voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to back the tri-nation joint bid for the tournament and leave Morocco to miss out for the fifth time.

World leaders should boycott Russian President Vladimir Putin's VIP box at next month's World Cup opening unless he takes steps to protect Syrian civilians, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.